Fantasy Football: Week Seven Preview, Part One

As we hit the home stretch of a long week, rest assured that football will come on Sunday. It's one of the few guarantees that we have. Of course, at this rate, half the league will be too hurt to play in this one, or they won't tell you until five minutes before kickoff that they won't. I have a feeling that it will be one of those weeks. Let's get to the early games.

San Diego at Buffalo

Who to Start: Vincent Jackson, Trent Edwards (deep leagues)

Who to Sit: Robert Royal, Josh Reed, Malcolm Floyd

What to Expect: If Buffalo wants to win this game, it's going to have to be through ball control. Coincidentally, the Chargers give up 112 yards per game on the ground. Not the worst in the league, but a decidedly average run defense.

Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are going to be involved in a large part of the offense this week. Lynch is coming off two forgettable performances but should be able to crack 80 yards and two scores this week. I just like the matchup against this defense.

Fred Jackson will get touches as well, likely accounting for another rushing score and 50 total yards between air and ground.

In the passing game, you want to start Lee Evans, but Edwards is borderline in most leagues. Yes, you can throw on the Chargers, but they looked like a different team against the Patriots in that secondary. You can argue that the Patriots aren't very good, but San Diego's corners looked much better.

Edwards will find Evans for a score, but just the one to go with 230 yards. As far as Robert Royal, he's had one fantasy point in the last four games. You can do better on waivers.

San Diego came out of it last week and did so without a healthy Tomlinson and missing Chris Chambers. Chambers is back this week, which means Floyd will lose most of his looks. Jackson, though, should continue to see a steady diet from Philip Rivers. The Bills are good against the pass, ranking eighth in the league, but they haven't had to deal with many threats like San Diego. I like Rivers for two touchdown passes and 260 yards. Jackson and Gates do the honors.

Tomlinson should be able to crack this defense, and is a must-start in all formats.

Sleeper Pickup: Fred Jackson. He should see enough touches to be a sleeper flex play in deeper leagues.

Minnesota at Chicago

Who to Start: Kyle Orton, Devin Hester, Greg Olsen, Bernard Berrian, Gus Frerotte

Who to Sit: Chester Taylor

What to Expect: Don't look for much of a day out of AP again.

The Bears have one of the best rush defenses in the game, and they will make it tough on Peterson to find any sort of daylight. Peterson has had single-digit performances the last two weeks in standard scoring formats. Given that he hasn't performed well against lesser defenses, we have no reason to expect that he'll be solid here. The problem is, you can't afford to sit him. Just temper expectations.

Gus Frerotte could be a sleeper play here. Frerotte goes up against the 27th-ranked pass defense, and one that was lit up by Matt Ryan last week, especially late in the game. Frerotte found Berrian multiple times last week and should be able to do so again this week.

With how much attention is going to be paid to Peterson, Frerotte is going to be looked at to provide offense. He should be good for 245 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bears should look to exploit the weak Vikings' pass defense. Kyle Orton will be in for a big day, and Devin Hester will be a beneficiary. Orton should hit 275 yards and three touchdowns.

Hester, Olsen, and Rashied Davis will all get in on the action. Matt Forte will be in for a long day, though. I don't think Forte finds the end zone, and likely hits only 60 yards here. He is one of the best receivers out of the back field that Orton has, and they use him for that as well.

Sleeper Pickup: Rashied Davis. He could very well be in for a good day of 75 yards and a touchdown.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Who to Start: Santonio Holmes

Who to Sit: Willie Parker (could be out), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chad Johnson, Chris Perry

What to Expect: I can't say that this looks like a solid matchup for anyone on the Bengals.

With Carson Palmer out, Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to be asked to lead an offense against one of the toughest defenses in football. The Steelers allow just 167 passing yards per game. Don't look for Fitzpatrick to break 150 yards and a touchdown. Houshmandzadeh needs to be involved and likely catches the only touchdown pass thrown.

On top of being tough against the pass, the Steelers have the second ranked run defense, allowing under 70 yards per game. Perry and Benson are going to find it tough going, and likely won't combing for more than 60 yards between the two. No touchdowns to be seen here.

The Steelers will find it tough going against the pass, but Roethlisberger should still be able to find a way to throw a couple touchdown passes. Look for both Ward and Holmes to get in on the action. The Bengals are fourth against the pass, giving up just 167 yards per game.

Look for them to pressure Roethlisberger, and make the Steelers beat them on the ground. While Big Ben likely has the two touchdown passes, 200 yards is likely it.

The key to this game will be the health of Willie Parker. The Bengals can't stop the run, but Parker is the only member of the Steelers that poses the threat to do that. He aggravated the knee injury that has kept him out of action, and may not be available this weekend. Mewelde Moore is an option for those that need to fill in for Parker, I'm just not as excited about him as I would be Willie. He's still good for a score and 80 yards if he's in there.

Sleeper Pickup: Holmes. He's still available in 25 percent of leagues, and should have a decent day against the Bengals.

Tennessee at Kansas City

Who to Start: Tennessee Defense, Chris Johnson, LenDale White, Bo Scaife

Who to Sit: Anyone wearing a Chiefs jersey, Larry Johnson (inactive)

What to Expect: Expect the Titans to run all over the Chiefs. Teams are beating up Kansas City on the ground, and the two-pronged attack should wear down the front seven.

Johnson and White are going to combine for three touchdowns on the ground, and I like two of them to go to Johnson. He should, again, be the primary ball carrier, racking up over 110 yards on the ground. White will top out around 60 yards, but will get the goal line carry for a score.

While teams are beating up the Chiefs, quarterbacks and receivers aren't doing the damage. Kerry Collins has the chance to, but this could be a day that features nothing but the running game. That said, he should still hit around 175 yards and throw a touchdown to Scaife for good measure. It's not enough to warrant a start for Collins, but Scaife would be a good steal in this one.

On the Kansas City side, this is just a plain matchup to avoid. The Chiefs run the ball well against poor run defenses, but Tennessee allows under 100 yards per game. They're also fifth against the pass. It doesn't matter who is under center, you won't want to be involved with any aspect to the passing game. If you have Tony Gonzalez, you likely don't have a better option, but it might be worth exploring. The Titans give up just four points a game to tight ends. 

Update: The Chiefs have announced the Larry Johnson will be inactive for the game on Sunday. Kansas City's other runners aren't worth starting in his place, not against this team.

Sleeper Pickup: Bo Scaife. He should be the best receiver of a rather lackluster crew.

Dallas at St. Louis

Who to Start: Tony Romo/Brad Johnson, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten

Who to Sit: Marc Bulger

What to Expect: If there were going to be a game where the Rams offense could get it going, this should be it.

Yes, the Cowboys are one of the better teams in football, but they are going to be playing without two of their top secondary players. With Newman and Jones out, there is also a possibility that they will still be without safety Roy Williams. What this should add up to is a big day for Bulger. I'm just not ready to take that gamble.

The best advice on the Rams would be to keep playing Torry Holt. He should be the primary target regardless. Donnie Avery looked good against Washington, but he needs to show more consistency to be started in most formats. Owners in deep leagues should consider him a sleeper flex option this week, but anything fewer than 12 teams needs to forget about him for now.

Steven Jackson is still the only Rams starter I feel 100 percent confident in starting. Jackson should still be considered a must-start option in all formats.

As for Dallas, the key to this game likely rests on who is taking snaps for the 'Boys. Roy Williams being added to the offense will likely open up the middle of the field for secondary options. Against this secondary, I like Crayton and Witten to have solid games. Crayton likely hits 70 yards with a score, and Witten near 90 with a score.

The split between Williams and Owens will keep Jason Garrett up at night. Initially, expect Owens to have a bigger game. Williams will play, but will need time to learn the offense before being expected to have a larger impact. I like Owens better of the two this week. I wouldn't play Williams unless there were no better options available and I knew Romo was playing quarterback, which I don't.

With Felix Jones not likely to play, Marion Barber's value jumps even higher, obviously keep him active. We like either Cowboys quarterback, and both likely throw for three touchdowns against the poor secondary of the Rams. Romo will just do it in more spectacular fashion.

Sleeper Pickup: Crayton. It's his time.

Baltimore at Miami

Who to Start: Both defenses, Ricky Williams, Greg Camarillo, Le'Ron McClain

Who to Sit: Joe Flacco, Chad Pennington

What to Expect: This should be an offensive struggle...in that both offenses will struggle to score.

I don't really like this matchup for either team. Miami relies heavily on the run, but the Ravens do nothing but stop it. Don't think they haven't been studying that film, either. They know as much as the Dolphins have told the world about the Wildcat formation. If anyone can stop it, it's a defense like the Ravens have. You still have to trust that they will throw something in there that no one has seen to this point.

Ronnie Brown will be the primary guy, but don't expect more than about 85 and a touchdown against this defense. I have a feeling that Ricky Williams could surprise again this week and potentially put up a score as well. He'll be held to around 30 yards, so it will be a short one. While the Ravens aren't known for giving up 100-yard games, the Dolphins will run enough to get there.

Chad Pennington hasn't made mistakes, and that's what Miami looks to him to do. They just want him to be certain of his passes. One guy that has made that easy is Greg Camarillo. He's the primary target. In PPR leagues, look for Camarillo as a deep flex option. Pennington won't throw enough to anyone else to make them worth playing.

The Ravens don't throw the ball well, and Flacco still makes many rookie mistakes. They'll rely on controlling the flow of the game, and will use both McGahee and McClain to do that. I like McClain better, and he should find 65 yards and the goal line without breaking a sweat. McGahee should be better for yards, but won't score. Yes, they all split carries, but the goal line job of McClain is enough to keep him as a flex option in deep leagues.

Sleeper Pickup: Greg Camarillo. He's the best weapon in the passing game that the Dolphins have. That has to count for something.

San Francisco at New York Giants

Who to Start: Eli Manning, Domenik Hixon, Giants Defense, Isaac Bruce

Who to Sit: 49ers Defense, J.T. O'Sullivan

What to Expect: Expect the 49ers to continue to struggle defending the pass.

Eli Manning was hurt last week but practiced fully on Wednesday and is expected to be available against the 49ers. That's good news for owners. He should be in line for 280 yards and three touchdown passes. Yes, he looked bad against the Browns, but San Francisco won't be playing a do-or-die game on national television at home. The Browns were.

Burress should be back on track this week after getting his feet wet following the suspension. Hixon wasn't worked much against the Browns, but should find the end zone and 70 yards this week as well.

Brandon Jacobs is a must-start and will account for two touchdowns to go with 120 yards. In short, this seems like a long day for the 49ers defense. Just a hunch. They give up rushing touchdowns like their going out of style.

Outside of Frank Gore, you don't want much to do with this 49ers team. Bruce will catch a touchdown pass, and might go for 70 yards, but that's the only other highlight here. Avoid this one at all costs. There are plenty of better options across any and all waiver wires to grab than guys from San Francisco involved in this game.

Sleeper Pickup: Hixon. He's still going to add a needed dimension to that offense, opposite Burress.

New Orleans at Carolina

Who to Start: Lance Moore, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Marques Colston

Who to Sit: Jake Delhomme, Muhsin Muhammad, Deuce McAllister

What to Expect: Jake Delhomme has had some good games and bad games.

His good ones come against poor rush defenses. Bad ones come against top-10 rush defenses. The Saints are in the middle, falling at 15 for the season. All that in mind, Steve Smith should be in for a good day, but there might not be enough of a running game to set up the pass. Delhomme should fall around 225 yards and the one score.

The running game will combine for about 125 yards, but against expect it to be split between the two backs. I like Stewart to find the end zone more than Williams, but that's been the case every week. Has worked out in all but one.

The Saints will welcome back Marques Colston this week. He may not be 100 percent effective, but he's likely in the lineup enough to hurt Devery Henderson more than any other receiver. Henderson is a deep threat, but Colston will take that sideline on his return.

Moore should still be in good shape, and Meachem will be a more likely third receiver than Henderson. Given Bush's prowess, there aren't enough touches there to go around.

Brees should be in for a fine day. Look for three touchdown passes and close to 300 yards again. He's done it without Colston, he'll now do it with him. Bush and Moore should get two of those scores, with a third going to a tight end. I don't think Colston will be quite there yet. Bush will be the best option in the run game as well.

Sleeper Pickup: Colston, if he's still available in your league.

Back tomorrow with the late games!